Siemens Apprentice Wins Leeds Award

Phil Black - PII Editor 17/02/2012

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Siemens apprentice, Adam France, has won the ‘Against All Odds’ award at the inaugural Leeds Apprenticeships Awards. The awards, organized by Leeds City Council in partnership with the National Apprenticeships Service, recognise apprentices across the city, plus employers and ambassadors who have been committed to getting young people into work. Adam, who is one of five apprentices at Siemens Mechanical Drives in Leeds, overcame an unsettled start to his apprenticeship, including a switch to a different course, to become a key talent and asset to the business.

Product and quality manager and Adam’s line manager at Siemens Mechanical Drives, Richard Durham, said, “We are delighted for Adam and believe he has a bright future ahead in the company. He demonstrates daily the commitment and dedication that are the building blocks of any successful apprenticeship.”

Siemens, a major UK employer, plays a key role along with other engineering organisations in shaping the national skills agenda and has a longstanding and highly successful apprenticeship scheme. With 200 apprentices currently on its scheme, Siemens is creating at least 150 more places across its four sectors this year. Siemens’ investment in apprenticeships is a powerful endorsement of the vocational route into employment.

Siemens HR director for UK and North-West Europe, Toby Peyton-Jones, added: “Siemens was founded in the UK almost 170 years ago with a pioneering spirit. Today, our apprenticeship scheme upholds that same ethos and is key to bridging the skills gaps and developing our engineers and leaders of the future. Many of our own managing directors came through this route. By supporting apprenticeships we are offering young people another route into vocational training and employment.”